WOOD VS PELLET STOVES

[Retired_N_Lovin_it]

I know that this has been kicked around alot but I am going to be buying a stove in the next 4 weeks and would like some input from people that own free standing stoves. My wife and I are retired up in the mountains (2200ft) 25 miles below the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park in central calif. The last 8 nights have been extremely cold (10-15 degress) Normal night temp is 35-40 degrees It doesn't usually snow up here but we did get about 2 ft last year which lasted a week. I was originally set on buying a pellet stove until I read about the shortage of pellets. The price for a ton of pellets has gone up to $262.00 + delivery and thats the summer price too. Also the fact that you have pellet stoves have to be serviced every year ($110.00) and that the electronics pkg, auger and motor will have to be replaced in the future, and the fact that pellet stoves will not work if the electricity goes out, has made me reconsider wood burning stoves. A (small) stove that will heat up to 1200 or 1300 square feet will work nicely. Neighbors that have wood burning stoves normally use 2 cords of wood a year which can be obtained between $160-$180 a cord year round. This makes the cost of pellet fuel twice as expensive as a cord wood when you figure that delivery is free for a cord as opposed to $65-$75 for pellet delivery. I am told two pallets (2ton) would be all that I need for a year but I am skeptical. I have forced air heating in the house but we have to buy metered propane and that usually costs about$ 160-$190 per month during the winter when its cold. Thats for everything. Kitchen stove, hotwater heater, dryer and furnance. During the summer our gas runs about $40. This wood stove would be our only source of heat. Also wood stoves are alot cheaper than pellet. I can get a small LOPI stove for $999.00 vs $2100.00 for the cheapest pellet I can find. Also would like to hear from anyone running an ENVIRO Mini pellet stove. I would like to hear any thing you have to say about this topic. Please also give me your geographical location


Thanks

 

[GVA]

Oh allright I'll bite here, (though thinking it's a setup..........)

Wow $110 a year to service it what's included here..... Do they clean the glass every month for you?

Buy a wood stove.... :cheese:

I'm serious........ :blank:

 

[stoveguy2esw]

i'd kinda lean toward wood in that instance myself. as far as heating they would both be comparable, but power issues can be present as well as other factors you mentioned. biggest plus with pellet over wood is convienance wood is more reliable due to not needing power and availability is generally a given. i currently have both a wood and a pellet unit, i use the pellet stove more often as it is easier, and the wife likes it for that reason. but i have the woodstove to fall back on if power is out , or if i wanna play with it its more fun building a fire than pushing a button. as for woodstoves, if you check lowes they are selling the CFM century brand at pretty dang good prices right now. home depot has our units as well. there are also several brands of cast iron reburn stoves that are truly excellent units as well , VC, pacific energy, jotuls , and a few others any of these brands you wouldnt go wrong with. biggest thing is to get what you want based on the heating load and how it will fit your lifestyle ,also the look of the unit can have bearing. a more rustic look may favor a steel stove like the century or the englander (which are also a bit lower in cost) the cast units though are beautiful as well as functional. any one of these brands (as well as some ive missed im sure ) will last for years and years, so think about what you will choose for the long run, its gonna be there for quite a while. hope this helps

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

I agree, buy a wood stove. The poll might end up a little lopsided, i think there is a larger percent of wood burners here then pellet burners.
$100 per year for service is about right. If you do your own service the number still remains in parts. Not every year, but eventually in the 10 years you own that stove you might spend a total of $1000 in parts. Every manchine reqires upkeep, and replacemtent parts are to be expected.

 

[MrGriz]

GVA, I'll be brave also.

I know you want to hear from people burning free standing stoves. That being said, I have a wood burning fireplace insert, but would like to chime in. Since the insert is basically the same as a free standing without the legs and fancy outside anyway.

I went back and forth on this debate also. I was starting to look specifically for a wood burning insert, since I have always enjoyed burning in the open fireplace and enjoy cutting, splitting and processing wood (that's another topic in itself). In my search, I stopped into a local shop that I later found out only sold pellet stoves and inserts. I let them go through the sales pitch and decided to research them also, since I liked what I initially saw. The flame was much nicer looking than I anticipated and I liked the convenience of pouring in the pellets and pushing a button.

These are some of the reasons I chose wood:
I have fairly good access to free wood
I have excellent access to inexpensive wood
Pellets are quite expensive and subject to availability problems
Pellet stoves are more complex than wood stoves. Ie. circuit boards, electronic controls, moving parts, electricity, ignitors, etc...
Wood stoves are quite simple by comparison (I've never read about a technician plugging a tester into a wood stove to diagnose a problem)
Pellet stoves require power for operation, whereas wood stoves do not
I enjoy processing wood and can definitely use the exercise
There seems to be more maintenance with pellet stoves
Initial cost of the inserts themselves was close (due to the models i was comparing), but adding the cost of a couple tons of pellets took care of that
I just couldn't get away from the asthetics of a wood fire

These are just a few of the most important factors that contributed to my decision. You really need to weigh the pros and cons for your individual situation. In many ways, pellets are more convenient than wood; it wasn't enough to tip the scales for me though. In the end a lot of the decision also boiled down to cost of heat. Since I have access to free (or very cheap) wood and don't mind processing it myself, that made wood burning a much more attractive alternative.

I would also advise against wood or pellet being your only available source of heat, especially in the case of pellet. With wood, you could probably rely on your stove as your homes only heat source, provided you had an adequate supply of fuel. The pellet stoves just seem too prone to trouble that could take you out for a day or two.

Just my .02, I hope it helps.

BTW, welcome to the forum. I'm sure you'll learn a lot here.

 

[webbie]

Think about how you will use it. If you are going to stop/start it a lot, Pellets may have some advantage. Then again, pellets won't work in a power outage and they make noise (blowers).

Can you get any free or cheap wood other than what you have to buy?

Use the fuel price comparison chart on this site to check what it will cost for various fuels.
Truth be told, a real $ to $ comparison when everything (hauling, time, interest on your money, dust) is figured in, you might be better just working an extra couple hours each week. What I am saying is that stoves are a lifestyle item and come more under the "recreational" heading for most buyers.

 

[wg_bent]

It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind.

I started out looking at Pellet stoves too. After seeing the price of Pellets go north of 300 a ton around here Plus the cost of the stove and more motors and electronics than a Lexus, I decided the simplicity and cost of a wood stove was the way to go.

I love the stove, and so does my family. One other thing to look at with pellet stoves is the asthetics. Some may be better than others. I've seen a Breckwel and a Quad run, and both look like a blow torch. The Harman looks better and is much quieter, so if you go with the Pellet be sure to watch one run for 10 minutes. Also, Harman's don't "clink" every few minutes because they bottom feed, same with Englanders.

The wood does require some work, but it's not bad, and mine is worse than most since I scrounge for it all, and split by hand.
Plus side is that it's cheap.

Keep us posted.

 

[GVA]

Wood stoves have blowers now too ya know? :zip:

 

[elkimmeg]

I own and have opperated 2 wood stoves for 30 years. New England has a far severe winter, than what is normal to what you described.

Your initial inquiry is incomplete you are asking what is best in a general situation or what is best for you?

Let's look what is best for you. The swing factor may be logistics meaning a pellet stove can be installed almost any where with minium Venting cost on direct vent units

If you are deciding where do you plan to install a wood stove Do you have an existing masonry chimney adequate for a wood stove would you be better off free standing or an insert in you existing masonry fire place. We need more info on your existing intended setup size ans condition of any clay flue Verticle length of it A picture inside and outside would help

If you do not have a masonry fire place and flue setup, your venting cost can exceed the cost of a free standing stove .

We need to know the layout of your home where you intend placement of a stove. the size of the room it will be .

Your going to spend considerable money and you want to get it right the first time We all can debate pros and cons models manufactures but none of us knows your interior layout or venting options . Another factor how often have you lost power the past 10 years when heat is needed and for how long.

I'm asking you supply more info so this thread is not debating pellet vs wood

Another deal breaker is if you can scrounge up a wood source cheaper that buying it in or a combination of scrounging and buying

The poll is useless because every ownr of a stove has different circumstanses not duplicate by any This debate could go for days and not help you make an educated decision.
That comes from educating use to your situation.

 

[Kenny1]

1 - Welcome to the forum

2 - There is a lot of good advice available here. Ask lots of questions!

3 - Research you purchase, and don't ignore your gut.

4 - Have fun with it

 

[Roospike]

Not only a free standing wood stove ...............

A Sunset RED free standing wood stove. :cheese:

That would be WHRed to those in the know.

 

[MountainStoveGuy]

why not look into a gas stove? they dont require power, you dont have to mess with wood, there super efficient, and cheaper to run then a pellet stove. So you have all the benifits of a pellet stove without all the hassel and expense.

 

[restorer]

I own and have opperated 2 wood stoves for 30 years. New England has a far severe winter, than what is normal to what you described.

Your initial inquiry is incomplete you are asking what is best in a general situation or what is best for you?

Let's look what is best for you. The swing factor may be logistics meaning a pellet stove can be installed almost any where with minium Venting cost on direct vent units

If you are deciding where do you plan to install a wood stove Do you have an existing masonry chimney adequate for a wood stove would you be better off free standing or an insert in you existing masonry fire place. We need more info on your existing intended setup size ans condition of any clay flue Verticle length of it A picture inside and outside would help

If you do not have a masonry fire place and flue setup, your venting cost can exceed the cost of a free standing stove .

We need to know the layout of your home where you intend placement of a stove. the size of the room it will be .

Your going to spend considerable money and you want to get it right the first time We all can debate pros and cons models manufactures but none of us knows your interior layout or venting options . Another factor how often have you lost power the past 10 years when heat is needed and for how long.

I'm asking you supply more info so this thread is not debating pellet vs wood

Another deal breaker is if you can scrounge up a wood source cheaper that buying it in or a combination of scrounging and buying

The poll is useless because every ownr of a stove has different circumstanses not duplicate by any This debate could go for days and not help you make an educated decision.
That comes from educating use to your situation.

Elk,
You are right. I know this area a little. There is no good answer, except the propane will break your back. But let me give you the other side. What are you comfortable doing to get your heat. Can/will you cut, split, stack, and load your wood. Are you willing to spend your time three or four times a day to load your stove, clean the ash, bank your fire for the night, and get up to a cooler house. Pellet vs. wood is not the question, it's what are you willing to invest in time and money. Ask the wood burners what it cost to install, and ask the pellet burners. I think bottom line it is close, total dollars out. If you have power issues, the pellet needs some help, but there are ways to overcome the loss of GRID power.

As far as pellets go, you are in an area where there is a shortage, Today, because of fewer users. What will happen in the future is anyones guess as far as price. My bet is it will go down. If delivery charge is an issue, see what the seller will do for a 3 or 4 ton delivery. Where you are, they won't spoil. I am sure that a multi-ton deliver will be like bringing 2 or 3 bunks of wood, the truck costs the same to drive, and it's the same truck regardless of the load. Go down to the valley and pit the pellet sellers against each other. Get YOUR deal.

Power and pellets are an issue. Locally you have a great stove (Thelin) that addresses that issue. 12 volt back up. Option is a generator. Your issues with power are not just winter, but worse in the Summer with rolling brown outs. A pellet stove draws small current, not like running your FA propane furnace.

You are in a very moderate winter area. For you a snow storm is the same as a Sunday afternoon for many of us. I have snow from November still on the ground. Your extremes are many members moderates.

Last. I can deal with bags of pellets, loading in the stove, hauling from storage, opening and cleaning. I can't cut split and stack wood any longer. Just too much energy expended, verses the energy needed to do my work. You are retired, would you prefer golf, or a nice hike, or donning your gear and sweating over the wood pile?

 

[restorer]

Damn, think I just threw a fiver of gas on this fire.

 

[elkimmeg]

fiver last time i played I had about 175 over a marsh and a pond behind the green. I'm thinking real hard which club to use If I hit a 4 iron and get 80 percent of it I clear the first mmarsh area and still keep it on the green. If I hit is flush I'm in the water behind the green. What to do. I could lay it up short and hit a wedge in two put for the par par 5 515 yds.
What to do I take out the fiver get it pretty good and start thinking be there be there. It lands on the front of the green but backs up ans starts rolling back towards the marsh stops two feet short from unplayable. I have to hack it out of crap with water over the green

 

[restorer]

Trust a Duffer to make a multi-gallon unit of out-of-control, into a fantasy of 3 under par.

fiver last time i played I had about 175 over a marsh and a pond behind the green. I'm thinking real hard which club to use If I hit a 4 iron and get 80 percent of it I clear the first mmarsh area and still keep it on the green. If I hit is flush I'm in the water behind the green. What to do. I could lay it up short and hit a wedge in two put for the par par 5 515 yds.
What to do I take out the fiver get it pretty good and start thinking be there be there. It lands on the front of the green but backs up ans starts rolling back towards the marsh stops two feet short from unplayable. I have to hack it out of crap with water over the green

 

[VT-Woodburner]

I too looked at both pellets and wood when I moved to Vermont.
I had an Avalon in my home in PA and I loved it. But building a new home brought about new decisions. I looked at a number of pellet stoves in Londonderry, Vt and I just didn't like the fire. It was way too "busy" for my tastes. I enjoy the lazy fire a dampened stove can produce on a snowy evening. So I looked into another Avalon but when the model I wanted didn't have an ash pan (wife's demand of the new stove) I went to Argyle, NY and bought a Regency. I like the lifetime warranty and no moving parts other than the damper.

 

[Shane]

Wood vs pellet is kind of like apples vs. oranges. Do you want to mess around with loading, cutting, splitting etc. Or do you want automation. As for pellet shortages I think 2005 was a fluke year that is more than likely not going to be repeated. In our neck of the wood all of the pellet spots have tons of supply and the prices are actually dropping on both fuel and units.

GVA- 110 for service is more than a fair price. It's actually realatively cheap. Nevermind arguing about what it costs to run a biz etc. it's a fruitless endeavor. Pay it or don't but don't try to tell someone that their ripping folks off by providing a service at a fair price.

Retired - You have to have the wood stove serviced at regular intervals too.
Enviro Mini is an excellent stove, and if backed by an excellent dealer (which I believe it would be) then it would be a fine choice. 2 tons of pellets to heat a decently insulated home in a fairly temperate climate is perfectly reasonable. I live in Casper WY. where temps often dip below zero. I heat my home (1250 sq. ft.) with pellets and last year I used 2.5 tons this year I'll probably use 3. Like I said though your climate compared to ours is a little more mild. So 2 tons is perfectly reasonable.

 

[jimkelt]

>:-(

 

[elkimmeg]

Guys we are letting emotions and prefferences take over this post
Till we get more info about the home layout and discuss venting options, then we can decide shoices for this situation

the deal breaker lies in the venting options. A pellet stove can be direct vented for less than $300 a clas A chimney can cost $1,500 up installed

Other parts we do not know is can he scrounde wood and bring the fuel cost down? Is he willing to take the time?

We all have life styles that favor one fuel and not the other. We do not know what his is?

Till he follows up answering and providing more info its not wood Vs pellets but what best suits his situation

A pellet stove also has more flexibility in location but cost more

 

[Marty]

Not only a free standing wood stove ...............

A Sunset RED free standing wood stove. :cheese:

That would be WHRed to those in the know.

Don't you mean a: House of the Rising Sunset RED free standing wood stove.

 

[MrGriz]

Personally, I'm not 'bashing' anyone or any type of fuel. Burn gas, run electric, pellets, wood, coal, corn, whatever you like. The point is that there are good and bad points associated with each type of fuel and the appliance to burn it.

The pros and cons have to be applied to everyones individual situation. In the end, an individual makes the choice that best fits their situation (location, resources, abilities, etc...). I was meerly pointing out the factors that led me to my decision as a basis for comparison; take it for what it's worth. I found that type of information valuable when I was making the same decision last year.

Just my .02

 

[BrotherBart]

Not only a free standing wood stove ...............

A Sunset RED free standing wood stove. :cheese:

That would be WHRed to those in the know.

Don't you mean a: House of the Rising Sunset RED free standing wood stove.

There is a stove
In Ne-braska
Spike calls the Rising Sun
And it's been the ruin of many a poor boy
God knows HogWildz is one

 

[bcnu]

Seems like a good time to jump in. Have had an Enviro Fire pellet stove for 6 years. Used it to heat about 800 sq ft. cathedral ceiling. House had good insulation etc. Did fine(only other heat source were two cadet inwall heaters that could never warm the area adequately) Direct vented it out the wall with short section of pipe and small cost. Used 2-2.5 tons a year and highest price was $269 ton(on sale in Summer) I didn't have access to wood and storage was an issue. Didn't have any gas appliances - but am now considering a gas fireplace as we try to sell the house.

Pellets are convenient but still takes some effort to move around 40 pound bags. I had to replace a pellet pot and the automatic ignitor. Also had the stove serviced for about that $110 figure.

Don't know if I would do pellets in that particular setting again. I loved the fire - it was as close to a wood fire as I could get. We only lost power once and only for about 30 minutes. We were without power for 5 days in our current house with no back up generator(that may change)

For our current house it's a wood stove all the way, Have a decent source of wood and can get more fairly cheaply. Have an existing fireplace with an inside chimney, have a chain saw, have a wood shed, have a pickup. I even have a dog and a guitar - so it has to be wood. It may even be metallic Candy Apple Red!

 

[GVA]

GVA- 110 for service is more than a fair price. It's actually realatively cheap. Nevermind arguing about what it costs to run a biz etc. it's a fruitless endeavor. Pay it or don't but don't try to tell someone that their ripping folks off by providing a service at a fair price.

I was just wondering what this service was.... Is that just cleaning the stove, never said it was ripping people off. Just thought maybe he was being charged for say a cleaning up front and may get a bit pissed when he realizes he could do it himself...

Also thought It was someone trying to bait me..... The poll wasn't up when I first posted...